All the dialogue voiced - curse or blessing?

[Monolith]

I don't know if all of you are aware of the fact that all the dialogue spoken by NPCs will be totally voiced in Oblivion. I think it's a major change which affects gameplay heavily.

On the one hand it is understandable. It became a standard during the last years, increasing atmosphere, perhaps the quality of the dialogue and finally...the costs . On the other hand though I'm not sure how good it will work within a game like Oblivion.

The previous TES-Games all had a massive amount of dialogue. The dialogue was repetitive and the dialogue system was just a catalogue with listed topics and few variety or depth. The dialogue system in Oblivion is said to be different - more quality, less quantity. Less topics, more choices - similar to BG or NWN. This made it possible to add sound to the whole dialogue. Unfortunately some immense limitations are "needed" to accomplishe that - according to the Bethesda dev Matt Ryan. Here's what he said on the TES-Forum:

Very well, this is a good question with a few simple answers. As has been stated recently at one of the many E3 interviews, the dialogue takes up about half of the possible data space on the medium we'll be using for 360. Because of that, all the good juicy dialogue is reserved for quests. We don't wan to skimp on quest stories, do we?

The compass is easy to understand, there are no doubts as to anything the compass says. Directions by an NPC could be taken the wrong way. If things change place on the map of Tamriel during production (and believe me, they do) then we would need new dialogue to cover the new directions to the moved location. This increases production time and the necessity for more "Pick-ups" when we are done doing voice recording.

Those are a couple of good reasons (data space and design changes) why most quests use the compass.

Summarised:
- dialogue takes up half of the possible data space
- thus dialogue has to be limited
- directions given by NPCs can be unprecise or can become wrong after the gameworld was changed during development; plus: they take up data space and cost work
- a compass is included which shows the direction to "places of interest" or NPCs; things which are important for quests and such => replaces directions given by NPCs through dialogue

Now, I don't know what you think about that, but in my opinion that's anything but good. Personally I don't want to have a compass which shows me where to go. I want to explore, make faults, get lost. And I want the NPCs to give me directions. When I play a game I try to think myself into that world. Thus knowing where to go without being told is, in my humble opinion, crap and destroies my "feeling" of being in a different world.

The game is going to be released in Winter this year, 2005. I don't know a specific date, but this has been announced by Bethesda. When I look at such a trend, I tend to believe that they want the game being done this christmas. Period. I don't like that attitude and fear that there will be some negative tradeoffs needed. Negative for us.

What do you think?

[Denethorn]

more quality, less quantity. Less topics, more choices - similar to BG or NWN.

I'm all for anything like that My main gripe with Morrowind was the dull and repetitive NPCs, which in turn led to a very dull and lifeless world. With unique character faces, voiced dialogue and such, I hope this problem will be very much solved - something which is worth the extra development costs and hastle.

I'd be a very happy chappy if Bethsoft actually do go down the route of dialogue similar to Baldur's Gate... Baldur's Gate managed to make the locations seem full of life with few unique NPCs.

Personally I don't want to have a compass which shows me where to go. I want to explore, make faults, get lost.

I see your point and sympathise with it, but personally, I never got lost in Morrowind anyway . Simply a matter of looking on the nice map bundled with the game and following the right road. I think Bethsoft are responding the outcries they received in Morrowind: people who hated what you enjoy ; getting lost in a vast game... with so many quests that were in a disorganized journal interface etc.
Just remember, there will be ways to disable that compass

when I look at such a trend, I tend to believe that they want the game being done this christmas. Period.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Apparently they've had Oblivion in some form of development since 2002 (shortly after Morrowind was released) - which may not be the longest time to develop a sequel in TES terms D) but it is a very long time compared to most franchises.

Plus I wouldn't at all be suprised if Bethesda hold off the release until Spring, they have a habit of doing that

[giles337]

Firmly a curse, for the reasons denethorn stated. The text gave interesting snippets of info, as well as being skim-readable. Imagine having to listen to a long dialogue repeatedly, just to catch one piece.

[Itch]

I think definitely a curse, I enjoy being able to walk up to anyone and ask them about any topic and they will have a varying degree of knowledge of it. I actually preferred the daggerfall system, where half the time they would give you the wrong directions. I think they are taking some of the spirit out of the elder scrolls series to make it more marketable to young idiotic kids with far too much money... but I guess that's what you have to do these days RIP Troika.

[Denethorn]

walk up to anyone and ask them about any topic and they will have a varying degree of knowledge of it

But it seemed to me that every NPC in Morrowind had the same degree of knowledge about every topic . So you talk to anyone and you've basically spoken to everyone in that area.

[Itch]

Yeh, I suppose that comment was more to do with daggerfall than morrowind. But I don't like having to find a specific NPC to progress my quest when anyone in the town could have imparted the knowledge I needed to know, I prefer walking up to someone and them either knowing it, and telling me, or directing me to someone who does. Just seems more realistic than following the green dot, mashing my 'a' button then having to check my journal afterwards because I couldn't be bothered sitting through boring dialogue.
My question is, Is the dialogue system going to be that much different, or are we just assuming that because it is voiced it is going to turn into a biowaresque type game, where they give you a good, evil, neutral type response all of which usually lead to the same answer, or will the dialogues system just be the same, but with voices?

[thaInsanity]

i think its a curse. If they would add where maybe the text would show up in a window and then the npc would speak it, then your would be able to skim if u wanted to. And i am definately turning off the compass....

[Rookierookie]

As long as there are subtitles, voiced dialogues are fine.

I often got lost in Morrowind (you know, "go to XXXX somewhere in the Ashlands and find XXXX who is smaller than a dot in hundreds of acres of identical looking lands" missions), so the compass would be great. But doesn't Morrowind already have a compass of sorts in the lower right hand corner?

[Taproot]

They could also be only giving some NPCs voices, the important ones.

IMO This system is the best. You give a god like Vivec a unique voice, and spoken dialouge, but not the peasant down the road you might never talk too. They get text. This system was used in NWN, and worked well there.

[stanolis]

talking?

slowly going deaf - thanks dad
i need subtitles/closed captioning because i cannot always hear what people say in movies or tv - SO i'm against voiced dialogue in games, except for cutscenes and the like
i'm impatient, so i was like "get to the point. who do i kill to solve your problem?"
i read much faster than they talk and i end up skipping half of the talk anyway

as far as the compass goes
i'll probably need it - i get lost so easily in morrowind
i always think the map scale is bigger then it is and pass it eight times

[Lowkei]

If the game is all voice over then im all for it. To be honest Morrowind had alot of text to read and after a wile u just lose interest in staring at it all for ages. If someone is reading to you on the other hand i don't lose interest. I mean there probably won't be as much detail an depth to the convosations, but then in morrowind who can honestly say that they spoke to everyone in the game an didn't find it repetitive. Any way back to the point I will jump for joy if it's all voice over dialog!

[Invincible121]

As long as the voice acting is of a high standard then I'll be fine with it. The Knights of the Old Republic series, and Fable, are two stellar examples of voice acting done right.

In fact a system like Kotor's would be ideal. All the vocals subtitled at the same time as they're spoken, with the option of skipping it.

[William Bobo]

The real problem is whether the dialogue is interesting enough to hold your attention. After all when the old adrenaline is rushing after a particularly juicy fight with a nasty monster the last thing you need is an exchange of banter with a wordy NPC.

One of my main complaints with Morrowind, and there aren't many, is that everyone you meet seems to be a bleeding expert on every matter under the sun ... Not only that, but nearly all would bother to stop and engage in conversation with you.

Frankly I would rather be flipped off and have a hard time talking to anyone until I had earned the privilage in some way, perhaps by doing the NPC a favor.

Certainly in the beginning when you are a low-life level one almost no one should even acknowledge your existence, especially good looking babes ... LOL

I love Bethesda but I wish they would give more thought to realistic interaction with NPC's...

[Faust]

I'm actually enthused about the voiced dialogue. My major problem with Morrowind was in regard to how redundant the NPCs felt due to the lifeless dialogue. The voiced dialogue has the potential of removing that feeling. Though, I suppose, it could lead to the expansiveness of the universe being cut down. I'm more than willing to make that trade, though I'm sure others would disagree.

[stanolis]

voices

in case anyone didn't know, voices will be classic british actors, including patrick stewart, sean bean, terence stamp, and the like.

[Phreddie]

As long as you have the option of closed captioning its fine by me. zif they do dialogue in olbivion like they did in KOTOR then that even better. also if evrythins is voiced do they stil have text for you to choose responces and wat not?

[Greg.]

[QUOTE=Phreddie]also if evrythins is voiced do they stil have text for you to choose responces and wat not?[/QUOTE]

Perhaps a system like KoToR where your character is silent.

[Phreddie]

yeah that'd work but they better have the option for closed captioning cuz there are sometimes when you jsut need to have volume off and if all dialogue is voiced then you may miss something important.

[fable]

Don't like the voicing idea, myself--not because I object to the voices, but to putting all those resources (time, money) to doing something that's a piece of game glitz, IMO. I'd rather see it all spent on interactive features. Just my take.

[ch85us2001]

I didnt have a major problem with morrowinds style. As long as it doesnt turn in to a fable (the game, not the moderator ) style system (for those of you who dont know your char just looks surprised and never speaks) I think it will be a decent system. Im a little worried it will be like KOTOR. I think it would make the game VERY linear to do that.